Freezing, emaciated Pit Bull puppy rescued by ambulance crew

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Metro, a pit bull puppy, was found starving outside an animal clinic. She was rescued by an ambulance crew who saw her freezing outside. Photo: Facebook

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A severely emaciated Pit Bull puppy was left outside Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital in Buffalo, New York on Wednesday during freezing temperatures. The hospital was closed that day, but fortunately for the abandoned puppy, she was spotted by a Rural Metro Medical Services ambulance crew who happened by the parking lot. The EMTs who discovered Metro were shocked when they saw the pup.

EMT Norine Hoch told WIVB News, "As my partner was pulling into the driveway, all of a sudden, she started going, 'Oh my God! Oh my God!' It was, like, 32 degrees outside, and she was skin and bones. If we [had gotten there] seconds later, she would probably would have been frozen to death."

When they knocked on the door of the animal clinic they discovered only the custodian inside. Not authorized by the hospital to handle sick animals, he was already on the phone with the Erie County SPCA when the EMTs knocked on the door.

Not wanting to leave the shivering puppy outside a minute longer in the cold, the crew tended to the pup themselves and got her to the SPCA.

According to Brian Lawson, director of public affairs for Rural/Metro Medical Services, "This was a real team effort. Norine Hoch, EMT Intermediate, and Breanna Horwood, EMT Basic, wrapped the puppy in blankets and hot packs to keep her warm. Since we can’t transport animals in an ambulance and the crew needed to be available to take emergency calls, one of our supervisors, Mike Arquette, took the puppy to the SPCA in his paramedic fly car, one of the marked SUVs."

When she arrived at the SPCA's vet care, the pup's body temperature was 10 degrees lower than it should have been and she scored only a 1 out of 9 body score, a rating measurement for emaciation.

The pup, now named Metro, after the ambulance crew remains in critical condition, but she is eating, which is a positive sign. The Erie County SPCA posted on their Facebook page on Monday: "TEN POUNDS...ALMOST ELEVEN...AND GAINING! Not everyone looks this good in pink argyle...but we think METRO looks BEAUTIFUL!! She's up to 10.8 pounds, and we know you'll be as thrilled as we are to see this line taken directly from her medical report: "LAST NIGHT: NORMAL PUPPY BEHAVIOR!!!!!!" At 8:43 this morning, her temperature registered at 99.7 - not bad for a dog whose temperature didn't even register when she arrived last week...THANKS SO MUCH, EVERYONE - for your prayers, donations, well-wishes - they're all making a difference in giving this little one hope and healing."

Metro's condition is guarded, but she is eating well. Photo: Facebook

The SPCA is trying to track down the people responsible for neglecting Metro and a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this investigation has been offered. Anyone with information on Metro is encouraged to contact SPCA Director of Animal Cruelty Investigations Jeff Eyre, 716-629-3525. The SPCA does accept and respond to anonymous tips.

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Metro has eyes that speak so much. You can look in them and learn volumes for one so young. Thanks to Norine and Breanna, the EMT's for intervening and actually saving Metro from the freezing cold of Buffalo and their Supervisor, Mike who transported Metro to the Vet, you guys done good. Without you, there would be no Metro; she would have died right where she was dumped. I don't know if whoever dumped her there thought they were doing her a favor by dropping her off at an Animal Hospital or what, but in a city like Buffalo, as cold as it gets, you can't just dump a puppy and forget it, and besides that the puppy was starving to death and it doesn't get like that over night. So, whatever good will they got from taking it to the hospital was wiped out from starving it, unless they just happened to find it, but then again, they should have found an open Veterinarian.

what a doll! so glad someone found her and helped her, i would love to bring her home with me,i have a big yard and lot's of love to give,if you can't find her a home i'm here waiting!may whitty59@yahoo.com/new hampshire.god bless!

Perhaps if the Animal Hospital in question doesn't have security cameras, it would be incumbent upon them to install them. Just in case another individual does this again, possibly in more adverse weather conditions.

I hope the good people your with now little one, can wash away the fear and sadness reflected in those eyes. Put there by an individual who for whatever reason, thought it was ok to throw away new life like trash. Thank you to those people who found a way to bring this little pup back from the brink. I wonder if there were any security cameras at the Animal Hospital where this pup was found. Maybe shed some light on the individual that did this, and if any other animals were involved.

Poor poor baby - I'm not religious but thank God these angels were there to save this puppies life.
I hope Metro now enjoys a happy and healthy life with an owner who deserves her.
These degenerates who do this to animals must be stopped and the book thrown at them when they are caught. Until we get tougher on them this is NOT going to stop.
Thank you to the EMT's who saved Metro's life.

Wat a beautiful lil face. Fait that emts went by there at that time. This lil girl has a fighting chance. Shes gonna make someone a great forever freind,i just know it. Please keep us posted on her progress. God bless all of u <3